John Macqueen Cowan

John Macqueen Cowan FRSE CBE (1891–1960) was a prominent Scottish botanist in the mid 20th century. He is especially remembered for the recording and classification of trees on the Indian sub-continent. He was also an expert on Spermatophytes.

Life

Cowan was born in Banchory in northern Scotland in 1891. He was educated at Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen. He then attended both Edinburgh and Oxford University training as a botanist, specialising in trees, receiving a postgraduate doctorate (DSc) from Edinburgh in 1927. From 1927 to 1929 he worked with the Indian Forest Service and conducted many studies of tree species throughout India.

In February 1929 he made a study trip around the Near East with fellow botanist Cyril Darlington. Queen Elizabeth created him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1952.

He died in 1960.

Publications

The Flora of the Chakaria Sundarbans (1928); Library of Congress Catalog entry with Adeline May Cowan: The Trees of Northern Bengal (1929) The Forests of Kalimpong (1929); Library of Congress Catalog entry Nature Study Talks on Animals and Plants (1929) The History of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (1935) A Guide to the Younger Botanic Garden at Benmore, Argyllshire (1937) The Rhododendron Leaf (1949) The Wildlife of the Sundarbans Chakaria (1952)

Family

Cowan married fellow-botanist Adeline May Organe (died 1981). Their second daughter was Pauline Cowan (born 1926) who, as Pauline Harrison, was later given a personal Chair in the Department of Biochemistry at Sheffield University.

Botanical References